Google Nexus 5 reportedly to be built by LG

South Korean phonemaker LG has been selected by Google to build the next Android reference device – Nexus 5.

Motorola had been widely tipped to be the next Nexus phone maker, after all the company was recently bought by Google but, according to the Korea Times, LG will continue where it left off and is already hard at work developing the follow-up to the Nexus 4 handset, unveiled in November, reports New York Daily News.

However, the article reveals that LG is trying to build on its partnership with Google in order to gain a greater involvement with Google TV, the search giant’s smartTV and set-top box platform for supporting apps, web content and enabling the second screen experience.

LG has invested heavily in building a smartTV platform and on marketing the technology. But so far, uptake has been slow.

According to the report, executives from LG and Google have discussed the development and launch for a Google-LG OLED TV and of LG becoming involved in the ongoing Google Glass project.

Nexus devices are considered flagship products by the Android community in that they present the operating system in its purest form – without third party apps, customised interfaces or features installed by network operators – installed on a handset with the best possible hardware specifications to support it.